Hypertension Awareness Gaps in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: Michael Robers, MD, MS

WATCH TIME: 5 minutes

"We can't really target hypertension as one of those risk factors if we don't know that people have hypertension."

The Disease Management Platforms session at the 2025 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Annual Meeting, held May 28-31, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona, featured a range of studies highlighting innovative approaches to improving care for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and related disorders. For example, Benjamin J. Osborne, MD, presented data on the significant impact of relapses on quality of life and economic burden in U.S. patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. Then, Jeffrey English, MD, introduced the MS-Link Outcomes Study, providing early descriptive insights into patient-reported outcomes and sociodemographic trends.

Further in the session, Laura Allen detailed the "Reduce Your Risk of Falls" group coaching program, designed to enhance mobility confidence and minimize fall risk in people with MS. Additionally, Michael Robers, MD, MS, discussed disparities in hypertension awareness among MS patients, emphasizing differences by age, sex, and hypertension severity. Riley Bove, MD, then explored the use of wearable devices to monitor incomplete bladder emptying in MS. Finally, Bruce A.C. Cree, MD, PhD, MAS, presented findings showing no increased risk of serious infections associated with decreased serum immunoglobulin levels during long-term ublituximab treatment in relapsing MS.

During the meeting, Robers, an assistant professor of neurology at Barrow Neurological Institute, sat down with NeurologyLive^® to discuss findings from a study examining hypertension awareness among individuals with MS. He noted that the study suggested that a significant portion of patients with MS met clinical criteria for hypertension but were unaware of their condition. Robers emphasized the importance of MS specialists recognizing early blood pressure abnormalities during routine visits, even if they are not managing hypertension directly, to help bridge the gap in comorbidity care. He also noted that early detection and referral to primary care can help to improve long-term outcomes by addressing modifiable vascular risk factors.

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REFERENCES
1. Robers M. Disparities of Hypertension Awareness in Multiple Sclerosis: Age, Sex, and Severity. Presented at: 2025 CMSC Annual Meeting; May 28-31; Phoenix, AZ. Disease Management Platforms.